Republicans, Democrats differ on favorite TV shows

There seems to be a connection between popular TV shows and Americans' political inclinations. And it may not be hard for St. Petersburg Times readers to guess which shows are more popular among Republicans and Democrats.

How about NCIS, which investigates military crimes on CBS? Safe to bet conservatives love it?

It might be trickier to guess the audience for ABC's Desperate Housewives.

Are Democrats, often accused of being less religious than Republicans, bigger fans of CBS's geeky, atheist-friendly The Big Bang Theory? And which side loves Fox's hit American Idol, and ABC's progressive Emmy winner Modern Family, more?

Republicans love them all more than Democrats do, the Hollywood Reporter says.

According to an analysis by media-research company Experian Simmons, viewers who vote Republican and identify themselves as conservative are more likely than Democrats to love the biggest hits on TV.

Of the top 10 broadcast shows on TV in the spring, nine were ranked more favorably by viewers who identified themselves as Republican.

NCIS, incidentally, got a higher (115) rating from Republicans than from Democrats (109).